Cook County Sheriff Dart launches anti-carjacking initiative

CHICAGO - The Cook County sheriff has rolled out a new anti-carjacking initiative to further respond to what he calls a plague facing the city and suburbs.

Sheriff Tom Dart says the key to finding a stolen car and making an arrest is to start tracking the vehicle immediately.

"When we track cars, we recover them quickly, and we have the ability to stop future crimes," said Sheriff Dart at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Sheriff Dart announced an effort to have drivers sign up online, giving consent to the Cook County Sheriff's Office to track their vehicle if it's stolen.

Dart says that will save precious time and maneuver through car manufacturer roadblocks.

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"There are certain manufacturers that still only operate their tracking from 9 to 5. There are other ones that say, no, you need a search warrant which you absolutely do not need," he said.

If you register your car HERE, you'll get stickers to mark your ride as one thieves should skip.

"We have talked to people we've taken into custody and, trust me, they've been clear that they don't want to be dealing with cars that they know that we are tracking," said Sheriff Dart.

This won't work with every vehicle. Sheriff Dart says most vehicles manufactured since 2015 have tracking technology. You don't need to live in Cook County to be a part of this free registration.

Dart is adamant they won't use this information for anything except your car getting stolen.

"Truly and I mean this sincerely, in a pragmatic way, we don't have time. We are all so overwhelmed right now. There is zero, zero possibility that this information is going to be taken and misused by law enforcement."

The sheriff also unveiled new signs in the Cook County Jail warning everyone there that carjackers are being tracked.